What to Know
- The first of the 20 new boats built for the new NYC Ferry system have arrived
- A christening ceremony was held at Brooklyn Bridge Park's Pier 1
- Many of the boats are being named by second-graders; so far, they include "Lunchbox," "McShiny" and "Friendship Express"
The first three of 20 new NYC Ferry boats have arrived, and officials have released the official maps and timetables for the two first routes kicking off next month.
A christening ceremony was held Monday morning for the very first NYC Ferry vessel, nicknamed "Lunchbox" by the second-graders at Bay Ridge's P.S. 170, after it docked at Pier 1 in Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Mayor de Blasio also announced new maps and timetables for the Rockaway and East River routes, both kicking off May 1. The South Brooklyn and Astoria routes launch in June and August, and the entire NYC Ferry system will fully launch in 2018.
The one-stop Rockaway-to-Wall Street route will take about an hour, while Astoria to Wall Street, with three stops, will take about 38 minutes, according to officials. Astoria to East 34th will clock in at about 22 minutes, and Bay Ridge to Wall Street, with four stops, will take about 48 minutes. Soundview to Wall Street, with two stops, should be about 43 minutes.
The cost of a single ferry ride will be the same as a subway ride, meaning that the current East River Ferry customers will see fares reduced from $4 in May.
Many of the ferry boats are being named by students at public schools located near the ferry landings, according to WNYC. The names will be displayed on the sides of the ferries and officially registered with the U.S. Coat Guard.
The students at P.S. 170 liked "Lunchbox" because "you can put different foods in a lunch box, and there's different people from different countries in New York," student Jannat Moughal told WNYC. So if you put different people together on a ferry boat, "you make a lunch box."
The boat-naming contest was targeted at second-graders because that's the age they typically learn the history of New York waterways and transportation, as well as immigration and the evolution of New York City, WNYC reports.
Other winning ferry boat names include "Friendship Express" and "McShiny," also from P.S. 170; "Sunset Crossing" from P.S. 971 School of Math, Science and Healthy Living; "Urban Journey" from P.S. 69 Journey Prep; and "Waves of Wonder" from P.S. 15 Roberto Clemente.
